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Communication Strategies
Communication Strategies
Description
Communication strategies are plans for communi- cating information related to a specific issue, event, situation, or audience. They serve as the blueprints for communicating with the public, stakeholders, or even colleagues.
Communication strategies should:
outline the objective/goals of the communication, identify stakeholders, define key messages, pinpoint potential communication methods and vehicles for communicating information for a specific purpose, and specify the mechanisms that will be used to obtain feedback on the strategy.
Communication strategies do not have to be formal written documents. They can simply involve taking the time to think about a communi- cation problem or issue and determining the best approach for communicating the message or information. Such an approach is especially true for simple issues that need to be conveyed about low-risk sites that have not generated a high level of public concern. However, at sites with high levels of public concern or site cleanup issues that are expected to be controversial, a more formal written strategy may be needed to ensure that all stakeholders are reached and all key messages are communicated effectively.
Communication strategies are different from Community Involvement Plans (CIPs), which are required under the National Contingency Plan. A CIP is a site-specific overall plan to enable mean- ingful community involvement throughout the Superfund cleanup process. A communication strategy can be one component of a CIP, but it addresses a specific event, issue, or concern, such as an emergency response to a release, or commu- nicating risk at a site. The CIP, on the other hand, describes an overall strategy for conveying and receiving information throughout the cleanup process at a site.
Required Activity
No.
Making it Work
When significant events or issues arise, a communi- cation strategy can help organize the information that needs to be communicated, identify concerns that may be raised, and ensure the proper audi- ences are reached.
Why
The first step toward developing a communication strategy is to determine the reason why the com- munication is necessary and defining the desired objectives. You, as the Community Involvement Coordinator (CIC), should ask yourself, “What is the issue to which EPA is responding?” or “What is the action that EPA is taking that warrants develop- ment of a communication strategy?” before deter- mining the need for the communication. CICs should then ask themselves, “What do we want to accomplish by communicating this information?” Objectives may include:
providing information; increasing awareness; encouraging action; building consensus; changing behavior; promoting community participation; resolving conflict, or asking for input.
Who
Once your reason for communicating is determined, you can focus on defining the audiences you need to reach and how you want to reach them. Ask yourself the following questions:
Who is involved, affected, interested? Is there an obvious audience? Are there others who may be affected? Are there traditionally underrepresented groups that need to be reached?
What information does each stakeholder already have? What information does each stakeholder need? What are their concerns? How is each stakeholder likely to react?”
Keep in mind that the demographics, knowledge, and concerns of your audiences play an important role in determining the key messages.
What
Once the previous steps are complete, you may schedule a meeting with the site RPM or OSC and other members of the site team to discuss the communication challenges facing them. This discussion could involve coordinating with all Site Team members about community involvement goals and objectives and might involve brainstorming and prioritizing potential messages. Focus on two or three key messages and rank them by importance, timeliness, or other factors. It is possible that you have key messages that are only constructed for one or two of your identified audiences.
How
Once you have identified your key messages, you need to determine the vehicle for delivering your messages. Keep in mind that you may choose different mechanisms to meet different stakeholder needs. Here are a few options:
Availability session/open house Celebrations/special events Electronic media, including email, e.g., list serves or website Face-to-face meetings with key stakeholders Focus groups Media, including cable TV, display ads, news releases, and press conference On-scene activities Public hearings Public meetings Public or private schools Social media tools, e.g., YouTube, Facebook, Twitter Workshops
As a CIC, you should be able to determine how you want to deliver your message to produce the best results. Note that the reach and impact of your
message will increase if the same message is distributed several times and via multiple methods. Keep in mind you may have different communica- tion goals and therefore may need to use different communication tools for different groups of people. Delivery methods can include:
Briefings Exhibits Fact Sheets Internet Mailings Presentations Public notices Responsiveness summaries Telephone Translation of documents into other languages spoken by community members Videos
Example 1: Opportunity for Public Review and Comment of Proposed Plan One CIC faced the challenge of informing stakeholders about an opportunity to review and comment on the proposed cleanup plan. After identifying the mes- sage and the audience, the CIC decided to hold a public meeting to announce the opportunity and to invite interested parties to a public participation workshop. By holding the public meeting at a library on a Saturday afternoon, he captured a wider audience than if he had held it during a weeknight. He then identified participants to attend a workshop for the following Saturday. The workshop included informa- tion about: 1) requirements for public review of and comment on site activities; 2) documents supporting the proposed plan, and how the proposed plan is organized; and 3) how citizens can maximize their contributions. A workshop handout offered step-by-step instructions for reviewing the site information (including what to look for) and for filing comments. The result: more than half of the workshop attendees submitted comments on the proposed cleanup plan.
ran; or how many “hits” there were on your website news posting. Finally, review the feedback and continue to refine your communication strategy in response to the feedback you receive. Consider following up, in a one-to-one fashion, with a few members of the audience for their feedback.
Remember, you will develop several communica- tion strategies during the Superfund cleanup process. You may be able to develop some com- munication strategies in advance for milestones and events that are known in advance, such as announcing the public comment period for the ROD or a construction completion. In other cases, you may develop a more involved communication strategy, such as for communicating risk, or you may develop a communication strategy for unfore- seen events, such as an unexpected release at the site. In any case, the basic approach is similar: outlining the issue and associated key messages, defining the key stakeholders, pinpointing potential communications vehicles or methods, considering the resources available, and specifying feedback mechanisms that allow you to monitor responses to the messages,. Refine your strategy, if appropri- ate, and evaluate the effort. Keep in mind that the Site Team should form a strong collaborative relationship with people both inside and outside the Agency to help the community identify contacts who may be able to address community concerns outside the scope of the Superfund program.
Tips
Your communication strategy should define the most important ideas to communicate. Consult with the site’s Community Involvement Plan (CIP) to help characterize the community, including their needs, concerns, interests, and expectations. Work with your press office to develop and implement the communication strategy, particu- larly at milestone events in the Superfund process. Document successes and shortcomings to learn how your strategy might be improved. Revise your communication strategy if it is not producing results. Consult your communication strategy often to remind yourself of your goals, messages, and audiences Consider adding formal communication strategies as addendums to the site’s CIP.
Attachments
Attachment 1–Sample Communication Strategies Worksheet You may find it helpful to refer to this sample worksheet when drafting your communication strategy. We have used the information given in Example 1: Opportunity for Public Review and Comment of Proposed Plan (on page 2) to fill in the sample worksheet. Attachment 2–Blank Communication Strategies Worksheet
Other Resources
Communicating Understanding of Contaminated Land Risks–Final Report, May 2010, Chapters 3, 4 and 5. Sniffer Project UKLQ13, http://www.sniffer.org.uk/home/Default.aspx This report is guidance for local authorities in the UK in the development of site-specific risk communication strategies in accordance with UK environmental regulations. Topics explored include timing of messages, media interaction, perceptions of risk and contamination, simplify- ing science for citizens, and identifying stake- holders. Provided in the report are specific recommendations for developing effective communication strategies and practical guidance on communicating about land contamination. Sniffer Risk Communication Booklet: Communicat- ing understanding of contaminated land risks, 2010. This practical handbook was written for use by Scottish and Northern Irish local authority officers, environment agencies, consultants, communication and health professionals, developers, landowners, and other stakehold- ers. It was designed to be a convenient and easy-to-use reference that complements the Communicating Understanding of Contami- nated Land Risks revised guidance (see SNIFFER, May 2010), providing a compre- hensive distillation of the ideas and tips contained within the guidance in a format that is more conducive to quick referencing.
Related Tools
Community Involvement Plans Exhibits Fact Sheets Focus Groups Informal Activities Mailing List Media On-Site Activities Presentations
Public Meetings Public Availabilities/Poster Sessions Public Notices Responsiveness Summaries Special Events Translation Services Videos Workshops
Attachment 2: Blank Communication Strategies Worksheet
Section 1: Issue/Problem and Key messages
A. Description of the issue/problem:
B. The key messages to be communicated for this issue/problem:
Message 1:
Message 2:
Message 3:
Section 2: Planning the Strategy: Audience and Communication Vehicle
Section 3: Implementation
Audience Communication Vehicles
Vehicle Required Resources/Time
